Once, bananas used to be considered a delicacy of the exotic variety, something rare in the UK. Still, now they are one of the most, if not the most, popular fruit domestically and worldwide. They are grown all around the world and consumed by billions of households. The nation consumes around 5 billion bananas yearly, and small wonder, as they are loved for their texture, delicious flavour, health benefits and more.

So here comes the important question, can you grow bananas in the more temperate parts of the world, such as the UK? Indeed you can, but it requires extra care and knowledge to make it happen. Even though they are referred to as trees, bananas aren’t precisely trees but are classified as a perennial herb. They are a member of the ginger family, taking them nine months to produce edible fruit, and they need very consistent conditions during that time to make fruit.

Here are Some Tips on How to Grow a Banana Tree at Home

Growing Conditions for a Banana Tree

Humidity and temperature need to be consistent when you’re growing banana trees. To have your banana plant produce fruit, keep the temperature between 15-30 degrees Celsius. Though the plants can handle the heat, they usually stop growing if temperatures drop below 14 degrees. The foliage is vulnerable to cold, though the underground rhizome can survive cold winters and produce new growth when spring arrives. 

Regarding humidity, you should look for 50% as the ideal level. You will need a sunny spot that doesn’t see a lot of wind to grow your bananas. They do best in full sunlight, but strong winds can damage the leaves. Growing several plants in a block will help imitate the natural jungle environment and give the plants a chance to support each other. This will also provide a windbreak for the parts of the garden they are located in.

How to Grow a Banana Tree From Seed

Commercially grown bananas lack seeds, so they can’t be grown from seed. Even if you find some tiny seeds in the bananas you’re eating, they won’t grow if you try to plant them. That being said, wild bananas can be grown from seed. Their fruits are sweet but contain many hard seeds and a hard-to-chew texture that makes them less pleasant to eat.

If you choose to grow these, you must start by soaking the seeds in water for about two days, helping break their dormancy cycle. Then you need to fill a seed tray with a 50/50 mix of sand and organic compost, then sow the seeds inside about 6mm. Water the soil to moisten it, then ensure it stays that way; bananas do best in damp conditions.

You will need to keep the seed tray at a consistent temperature of at least 15 degrees Celsius. Warmer is better, so look for a heated propagator if you can buy one. Some varieties prefer fluctuations in temperature, warmer in the daytime and cooler at night, so make sure you know what your banana variety needs before you start.

Variety will also determine the germination speed; some may take a couple of weeks to germinate, while others take months. Keep in mind you will need to wait a couple of years at the least to get some harvest in. This is the reason why a lot of people prefer to buy a mature plant for their garden.

© Fast Landscape Gardening

As an avid gardener, you are well-aware of all the tasks that should be tackled during the warm months when your garden is subjected to great exploitation. Yet once winter is here, you can take the rest you deserve and put off gardening chores for a while. Still, considering garden maintenance is a good idea even in the winter and there are a few jobs in the garden you can deal with. Take a look at these five important tasks to address in the garden in January:

• Give a second life to the Christmas tree – you might be done with the Christmas holidays, but you don’t have to simply throw the Christmas tree in the trash. You can give it a second life by recycling it and thus making wonderful mulch for your plant beds. Just use your shredder to recycle the tree and spread the mulch in your garden. As you know, gardeners rely on mulch to improve the qualities of their soil, as well as to preserve moisture during hot seasons. With your homemade organic mulch made of the Christmas tree, you will add strength and nutrients to the soil.

• Prepare the lawn mower – mowing the lawn in spring and summer is one of the most tedious gardening tasks and relying on the capacity of the lawnmower can make the chore easier to deal with. Quality lawn mowers cost a lot, that’s why you should be serious when providing the right maintenance. When preparing your list with gardening tasks to tackle in January, remember to have the lawnmower serviced by the pros. Surely investing in expert help might be pricey, but given the importance of having the lawnmower fully fictional, the service is worth the investment.

• Have artificial grass installed – for those of you who can’t afford the time to take care of real grass, there is an artificial alternative to try. Artificial grass offers numerous benefits related to durability and maintenance, so it is the perfect solution for homeowners who seek a low-maintenance, hard-wearing lawn. And the best moment for you to have artificial grass installed is in January.

• Check on your pots – you don’t want to waste time cleaning the pots once spring arrives, so make sure your pots are ready for the new planting season. Take a look inside the pots – do you notice salt deposits? If you do, clean those right away. Salt deposits harm the quality of water, therefore they threaten the well-being of your potted plants. Use some warm water and a stiff brush to scrub off salt deposits from the pots. Starting the new season with clean pots also guarantees that some plant diseases will be eliminated and your plants will grow healthy. To take care of bacteria, spray your plastic pots with bleach. Terracotta pots can be cleaned by soaking them in bleach for about twenty minutes, then letting them air dry.

• Refresh the greenhouse – another important task to complete in January is to make the greenhouse sparkly clean. No matter if you count on a plastic one or a glass alternative, clean the exterior, as well as the interior to let more sunshine in. Doing so will prevent moss and algae from affecting your plants and you will also manage to create a lovely-looking greenhouse you can be proud of. As for the interior, give the greenhouse a thorough sweep or vacuum cleaning to get rid of dirt. If you want to go further, you can also disinfect the space to eliminate bacteria.

Make these five gardening tasks a top priority this January. Once you tackle them, you will be ready to welcome gardening in the spring.

© Fast Landscape Gardening

If you think about it, the exterior of your house is first to notice by everyone - your friends, neighbours or potential buyers interested in your property. Often, even a tastefully decorated interior wouldn't be enough to make up for your messy yard, which is why a flawless landscaping design should be presented. Are you in a rush to sell your house? Make a great first impression by improving your landscape with these five tips:

• Address obvious issues - chances are your garden has a few apparent problems you should deal with before buyers visit you. Clutter, weeds and poorly maintained lawn can make your garden look untended, so try to take control over the space before you do anything else. Throw away useless gardening tools lying around the backyard and take your time to eliminate weeds. If possible, get the job done without applying harsh weed killers. After that, mow the lawn perfectly, so that you can ensure a welcoming appearance of your landscape. In case you notice other issues like untrimmed plants or nasty stains on the paved surfaces, deal with them as soon as possible.

• Add lovely colours - but be extra careful not to go overboard. When it comes to your landscape, you can't be certain about the preferences of the new owners. While some people adore colourful gardens, others would prefer a simple design. So, keep it simple. Rely on your imagination to figure out matching colours that are neither too intrusive, nor too plain. This rule concerns not only your plants but the gardening features as well. DIY decorations like old tires or water bottles should be painted in colours that correspond to the overall vision of your property, that's why you need to be reasonable with the colour palette.

• Mulch - are you looking for a cheap, yet effective hack to make your property look appealing? Then using mulch is one of your smartest options. Once you mulch the flowerbeds, you will see a huge difference in your landscape - the space will strike buyers as being fresh and well taken care of. Just keep in mind that going for organic mulch is always a wiser call. You don’t even have to depend on a store-bought solution, since you can prepare mulch on your own – wood chips, straws and leaves are some of the best options you have for DIY mulch.

• Take care of garden features – most people love it when their backyard space benefits from cool landscape additions like water features or cosy garden furniture. If you want to impress buyers with a perfectly arranged garden, make sure garden features are in top condition. A fully functional fountain or a well-maintained kitchen in the open can increase the value of your property, thus letting you sell the house in a flash. Landscaping features have a huge impact on the way buyers see the property, so do your best to preserve the additions in excellent shape.

• Don’t overspend – surely you might feel tempted to transform your landscape into a picture-perfect space, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on the transformation. Making pricey customised changes are unlikely to sell your place fast. On the other hand, a universal vision for your backyard will get you closer to success, which is why overspending is unnecessary. If budget is not an issue for you, invest your money in a fabulous fence, because privacy is what most buyers insist on. With that tip in mind, expensive mature plants or extravagant patio features are investments you don’t have to make to sell your house in no time.

A lovely-looking exterior improves your chances to find reliable buyers for your property. Boost the value of your house by providing a flawless landscape and your efforts will pay off sooner than you expect.

© Fast Landscape Gardening